Concert Reviews

Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Live Concert Reviews

John 5 delivers a masterclass in technical guitar ability at The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC It’s not that often that you get to see a guitarist deliver a show that is all about them and their abilities on their axes, many big-name shredders have begun offering opportunities to see …

Thrash Legends Anthrax Turn the Fillmore Charlotte Into a “Madhouse” The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC – 31 January 2018 I couldn’t have hoped for a better way to kick off my 2018 concert coverage than with the KILLTHRAX tour. This was my first show of the year, the last one …

THE VEER UNION GAS MONKEY BAR & GRILL | DALLAS, TX | JANUARY 28, 2018 Have you ever had one of those nights where despite a whirlwind of noise and chaos, things just seemingly fall into place? When a force field of energy surrounds you and wards off the pangs …

Motionless in White with Cane Hill and Ice Nine Kills O2 Ritz – Manchester, UK – 27 January 2018 Motionless in White return to the UK after a short absence with a brand spanking new album, Graveyard Shift. Joining Motionless on this tour are Cane Hill and Ice Nine Kills. …

STONE SOUR with THE PRETTY RECKLESS Gasometer – Vienna, Austria – 12 December 2017 For my last show of the year, I was looking forward to the opening act almost as much as the headliner and that doesn’t happen all that often. I am a big fan of The Pretty …

GWAR with Ghoul, He Is Legend, and U.S. Bastards Gas Monkey Live! – Dallas, TX – 29 November 2017 THE BASTARDS, THE LEGEND, A GHOUL AND A GWAR… …walk into a bar in Dallas, Texas. No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke, although I thought about trying to …

10 YEARS South Side Ballroom – Dallas, TX – 01 December 2017 Supporting their new release, “(how to live as) GHOSTS”, veterans 10 YEARS embarked on a tour with CHEVELLE, making stops across the US. Stopping in Dallas, where 10 YEARS has a strong fanbase, seemed to be a no-brainer …

REVEREND HORTON HEAT Irving Plaza – New York, NY – 15 December 2017 Horton’s Holiday Hayride As the snow fell on Friday night, Reverend Horton Heat brought their Holiday Hayride to New York City’s Irving Plaza. Along with lots of smiles and tons of holiday joy, they also brought with …

While She Sleeps O2 Academy – Sheffield, UK – 8 December 2017 After a 2-hour drive to the Academy in Sheffield, I arrived on a cold Friday evening to witness a band that was clearly already on the brink of massive things. It’s always good when a band plays their …

Evanescence – Synthesis Live Kansas City Music Hall – Kansas City, MO – 11 December 2017 Evanescence has returned with their fourth studio album, Synthesis, which includes reworked versions of the band’s previous material with an orchestral arrangement and electronica music elements, in addition to two new songs, thus making it …

Thrice with Circa Survive, CHON, and Balance and Composure Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO – 5 December 2017 A relatively mild December night in Kansas City found me slightly out of my element, as the usual death/doom metal was set aside in order to check out an evening of …

Cannibal Corpse Throw a Thrash Fest at Arizona Pete’s in Greensboro, NC Arizona Pete’s – Greensboro, NC – 03 December 2017 It isn’t very often that legends in the metal genre make a stop in the Triad area since many of our bigger venues have closed over the years, there …

HELLOWEEN Pertille Arena – Gothenburg, Sweden – 02 December 2017 Helloween’s new tour aptly called “Pumpkins United”, is without a doubt the Power Metal event of the year: after almost 30 years, the former singer Michael Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen have come back to the band. The two, together …

GARY NUMAN The Opera House – Toronto, Ontario – 01 December 2017 I love Gary Numan. I have loved him since I was about 15. Right back to the Tubeway Army days. I have traveled the world to see him play. When he comes to Toronto, where for the past few …

Devin Townsend Project Steals the Show at Cone Denim Entertainment Center in Greensboro, NC Cone Denim Entertainment Center – Greensboro, NC – 29 November 2017 Let’s face it, Devin Townsend is probably one of the most talented axemen in the business right now. From his work with Strapping Young Lad, …

Alter Bridge with All That Remains and Sons of Texas The Ritz – Raleigh, NC – 28 November 2017 Earlier this year I had the opportunity to cover Carolina Rebellion, the second of the major festivals in the United States. Both headliners were in attendance, but due to my journalistic …

A crowd surfer’s paradise at Arizona Pete’s as Fit For A King and company deliver hard-hitting performances. Arizona Pete’s – Greensboro, NC – 26 November 2017 We all know Metalcore shows can be fucking insane, with the multitude of pits and the feet flying in the air from crowd surfers. …

Mr. Big with The Answer and Faster Pussycat Manchester Academy – Manchester, UK – 21 November 2017 Another eclectic tour package is what I thought when these dates were first announced. Musical virtuoso and melodic rockers, Irish Zeppelin rockers, and eighties sleazy hair metal. On entering, there was a healthy audience in …

Wolves in the Throne Room Kraken Sthlm – Stockholm, Sweden – 23 November 2017 It’s dark when I get to the Kraken in Stockholm. At this time of the year, it gets dark pretty early, and a few persons are already waiting for the doors to open. Unfortunately, there’s a delay and …

Ne Obliviscaris Helps Fans Shake Off Turkey Lag in Greensboro, NC The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC – 24 November 2017 Many times, especially after a major holiday like Thanksgiving, it is usually very difficult for bands to draw crowds out to shows. With family being in town for the …